Dr. Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health in Ogun State, announced on Monday that the state government has recorded 25 suspected cases of cholera, with nine confirmed cases and one death.
During a press conference held in Abeokuta, Dr. Coker disclosed that eight of the confirmed cases involved individuals who had recently traveled to Lagos State and consumed tiger nut drinks. She emphasized that Lagos State is the epicenter of the cholera outbreak and shares a border with four local governments in Ogun State.
Dr. Coker, accompanied by other officials including Commissioner for Environment Ola Oresanya, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, and representatives from State Water Corporation and Ministry of Education, stated, “The initial eight cases originated from Lagos State, where six individuals reported consuming tiger nut drinks.”
She further highlighted the state’s preparedness measures, mentioning the deployment of a robust surveillance system across all 20 local government areas. The system facilitated early detection and prompt diagnosis of cholera cases, including five contacts of the initial patients with a travel history to Lagos.
Dr. Coker assured the public of the state’s readiness to respond effectively, with trained rapid-response teams in all local government areas and adequate distribution of cholera test kits and treatment supplies to designated centers. She emphasized that cholera treatment is provided free of charge across all government healthcare facilities in Ogun State.
The outbreak was previously linked to an unregistered tiger nut drink in Lagos State, affecting multiple local government areas including Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, and Kosofe
.